Is Ellen Pompeo Leaving 'Grey's Anatomy'?

Ellen Pompeo and Shonda Rhimes have always maintained that the ABC medical drama would end when Pompeo wants to leave - so could the show's 16th season be it's last?

Grey's Anatomy is about to return for its fifteenth season and judging by the drama-filled trailer that dropped a few weeks ago, it's going to be a season to remember. From the complicated situation that Owen, Amelia and Teddy are about to find themselves in right down to Meredith's controversial new love interest (it's DeLuca, by way...), Grey's is still bringing the same heat and finding new ways to get us all shook.

But the future of the beloved show might now be up in the air thanks to a new interview from Meredith Grey herself, Ellen Pompeo, and fans are shook for a whole different reason.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pompeo sat down to talk about her future on the hit ABC medical drama and by the sounds of things, it really does seem like she might be thinking about hanging up that stethoscope once and for all.

Picture:
ABC

When asked about what would happen once her new contract ends at the end of season 16, Pompeo said: "I’m clearly not prepared right now to make any formal announcement about my future on the show. That’s something that Shonda Rhimes and I will do together. But I’m feeling like we have told the majority of the stories that we can tell."

"I was really excited to be back working with [executive producer] Krista Vernoff again because we started the show together, so finishing out the show together feels really appropriate," she continued.

"Shonda trusts Krista. So I always follow Shonda’s instincts and she’s always right. But yes, I’m feeling like we’re coming to the end of the stories that we’ve told and that we can tell. I’m really excited to do some new things, it’s about time that I mix it up and I’m really excited about my producing career, and I’m definitely looking for a change."

via GIPHY

While Pompeo hasn't confirmed anything yet, it's always been maintained that the show would end once Pompeo decides to leave.

“Shonda [Rhimes] and I have both said that when I’m ready to stop, we’re going to stop the show,” Pompeo told Variety in 2017. “The story is about Meredith Grey’s journey and when I’m done, the show will end.”

Pompeo recently signed a brand new (multi-million dollar) contract that made her the highest paid TV Drama actress. She'll get over $550,000 per episode (Grey's usually has around 24 episodes per season so the drinks are on her forever, we guess?!) alongside a seven-figure signing bonus. As part of the new deal, Pompeo became a producer on Grey’s Anatomy and the co-executive producer on the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff series, Station 19.

Does anyone actually remember life without Meredith Grey in it? Don't even wanna think about it tbh.

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